- Andrei earns his living by renting. He says his relationship with tenants is “purely commercial.”
- He bought his first apartment when he was 30, and since then he has bought five more
- With rental income, he can travel and provide financial security for his family
- Investments in real estate were made possible by family help, and Andrei's retired father also lived on rental apartments
- You can find more such articles on the Onet homepage
Andrei is 42 years old. He bought his first rented apartment when he was thirty years old. He has since acquired five more. Today he lives only from rent. He says you can make a great living from it and still secure yourself for the future.
“I won't go back to work, I value myself too much.”
“I am an economist by education and an avid traveler,” he says. — If I stayed with the company, I wouldn't be able to travel as much, and I wouldn't have that freedom. It is crucial for me. and financial security. Without her, I wouldn't have a family. Two years ago, my son was born, and in July I will marry my fiancée. Thanks to what I do, I can be with them all the time and at the same time provide them with everything they need. I was able to be with my fiancée right before and after she gave birth, and today I'm raising my son with her, and unlike many colleagues who are pursuing careers, I'm present in my child's life. When Krzyś goes to kindergarten, I will be able to return to financial consulting and it will be possible to hire me. But I will not be returning to the company as a full-time employee. impossible. I value myself too much.
“I bought my first apartment with the help of my father,” he explains. — They sold my grandfather's studio apartment, we added some money from our joint savings (I've been working since I graduated from high school), and so I became the owner of a two-room apartment in Powiśle. I lived there for half a year and decided to rent it. I immediately found a kind and solvent tenant. I lived alone in a studio apartment that my grandmother on my father's side had left to me and my brother. But he went to Australia and then agreed to let me pay him back.
Andre directly admits that his investments would not be possible without the help of his family. His retired father also lived by renting apartments, which he subsequently sold to his son.
— That's how I bought my studio apartment and my parents' four-room apartment in Saska Kepa. This is my “jewel”, and I charge 9000 for it. I know how it sounds, but after the third apartment, the money “makes itself.” Today I have savings, play in the stock market, invest in “sure things” and basically…that's it. I read a lot about this topic and constantly educate myself. I'm saving for retirement myself, and my family is insured. I wouldn't say I've been lucky in my life, because you simply need to know how to invest in real estate and know when and where it's worth buying. And she has a nose for renters.
Andrei emphasizes that his relationship with the tenants is purely business: he is not interested in their personal situation, and does not “choose” dogs, cats and children. While the agreed upon amount appears on his account every month, Andrei rarely contacts his tenants. If there is a two-week delay, he calls and asks if something is wrong.
“The rent usually shows up on the bill the next day and we forget about it,” says the 42-year-old. – But then a red light flashed in my head. This is usually true, because if someone fails to pay the rent once and does not inform him in advance that he will be late, sooner or later he will stop paying. And you have to say goodbye to such a person. I've encountered three situations like this so far and dealt with them quickly. I have no feelings if someone cheats on me. If you can't afford it, don't rent. Every six months I make an appointment and check the condition of the apartment. I do not focus on any banal damage, I know that the apartment is for living, not for admiration. Personally, I have a family and I understand that kids jump on furniture, that there is such a thing as normal wear and tear, that the washing machine needs to be replaced… In this regard I understand. But it happens that someone gives up his apartment because he doesn't care about his business, that's his nature. Then I say that I will arrange cleaning at his expense. There are usually some positive changes.
– The first tenant lived with me for 10 years, and two others rented the apartment for more than five years, so I think they are satisfied – explains Andrei. -And I like these “permanent” tenants the most. But I don't relate to them.
“This is work, not social welfare.”
-I once rented an apartment to a family. Mum, dad and two kids. This father left his wife. He just left. The woman was not able to pay the PLN 5,500 rent herself, so she called me and told me about the situation and asked for three months to look for a place to move to. I promised to pay half. Well, I couldn't agree to that. For me it would be approximately 9 thousand. PLN at the back. My invoice must be correct. I believe this is where my success lies. I'm not giving up, I'm not a “good uncle”. Renting is a business, not a charity or welfare organisation. The lady stayed until the end of the month and left. Another family already lives in the building.
– I haven't worked full-time for seven years, and I left my job when my rental income started to exceed what I earned as a full-time employee – explains Andrei. – Today I have about 30,000 on hand per month. Of course there are also losses, there are dishonest tenants, someone damages something or even deliberately destroys the bathroom in retaliation for the rent increase. This is a rental risk. I have funds allocated from my deposit for this purpose. You also need to know that this is why contracts are designed to protect us.
